Consecrated 19th March 1910
Meeting at: Belfast - Masonic Hall, Van Riebeeck Street
Meeting Dates: 1st Saturday (ex Jan) 3rd Sat Nov Inst Nov
Contact 083 449 9889
Lodge History
Belfast, named after the home town of its founder, a Mr O'Brien, is the centre of an important farming area. Most of the founders came from the sponsoring Lodge, Astrea, which at that time met in Machadodorp and the lack of reliable transport made attendance at the Lodge very difficult. However, with many of the brethren being farmers, comforting festive boards were assured.
Prior to the building of the Belfast civic centre in the 1930s, the Lodge hall was the only suitable venue for social functions and it was frequently let out for this purpose. But once the civic centre was available, the Lodge sold its hall, and built a new one, designed for masonic usage. When, in the earlier years, there were no degree ceremonies, it became the practice to have masonic papers in the Lodge, and talks on other subjects, such as growing African violets or asparagus, at the festive board. These informal disquisitions became known as 'the fourth degree'.
Leading members of the Lodge in earlier days included W Bros C J Bergh (WM 1930/1) and K F Wynne (WM 1940/1). Both were teachers, both attained Grand rank, and both later left Belfast to continue their masonic careers elsewhere: the former to White River, where he was a founder member of White River Lodge, and the latter to Johannesburg, where' - apart from a strong involvement with the Scottish additional degrees - he took a great interest in the Sunnybrae Boys Hostel.
The 1950s saw the Davel family come into the picture, and between 1959 and 1986 five 'Davels' occupied the Lodge chair, one three times and three twice. Another stalwart has been W Bro G G (Bert) Triggol, who received the District Grand Master's certificate of service in 1994, while the Lodge has been most successfully paired with Kosmos Lodge, and has benefited from the joining membership of W Bro Dick Walwyn, PAGDC, following his retirement to Dullstroom.
Rarely a brother attains District rank before going through the chair of a lodge, but this happened in Belfast in 1992/3, when the Master, W Bro Pieter Wessels, was already the District Grand organist.
Reference: 'A Century of Brotherhood' by A A Cooper & D E G Vieler